The costs of the impact of climate change and budgetary constraints compel the European Commissioner for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, at the European Conference on Adaptation to Climate Change (Lisbon, 28 May), to advocate above all for strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors - the second priority of the EU's adaptation strategy, he stressed. However, he also emphasized the link between climate change adaptation policy and disaster reduction.
Adopted in 2013, before the conclusion of the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Adaptation Strategy aims to promote action by Member States, ensure resilient action on climate change at EU level and better informed decision-making, but has not been modified since then (see EUROPE 12135/11).
“Climate change affects all infrastructure and economic activities. In both the public and private sectors. I think that the public-private partnership must be our next major step forward. The public sector simply cannot meet the enormity of the challenge alone”, said the Commissioner, citing in particular the key role that the insurance sector can play. This is why the EU supports programmes such as InsuResilience.
“Insurance not only provides financial compensation for losses, but also incentives to reduce risk. Flexible insurance schemes, for example, can be particularly beneficial for the most vulnerable countries.”
The resilience of investments and infrastructure through risk-based approaches is, in his view, another priority, as he had already said at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva (see EUROPE 12257/12).
“I strongly believe that Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction must be closely connected policy areas. And they should be addressed in parallel. That means building bridges between Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation. At both policy and operational levels”, said the Commissioner.
He recalled that more than 65% of all EU humanitarian projects include disaster preparedness activities. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)